Huo Zongzhuo stayed in Shenzhen with Jiang Luo for two days. He had his own business to deal with, so only then did he leave.
No sooner had Huo Zongzhuo walked out than Wang Chuang slipped into the office right after him.
“So what’s the situation now, exactly?”
Jiang Luo rubbed his face with his hand, sat down behind the desk, thought for a moment, then clicked his tongue. “Damn it, I’m too busy.”
He didn’t even have time to slow-boil the frog.
Wang Chuang: “So… he’s really not getting hard?”
Jiang Luo waved him off with an annoyed look. “Scram, scram. Go do your work.”
Wang Chuang looked thoughtful. “You think a normal straight guy could change and end up liking men too?”
Jiang Luo: “Aren’t I one?”
Wang Chuang: “Huh?” He was shocked. “I thought you just weren’t into women.”
Jiang Luo: “Get lost! Go do your job!”
—
While Jiang Luo was running around Shenzhen nonstop, back in Haicheng, at the Zhao family home, Zhao Mingshi returned from overseas.
When Zhao Mingshi came back, Zhao Guangyuan was at his office in Pudong. After taking Su Lan’s call, he didn’t even go home—he refused to see this son at all.
Zhao Shuo didn’t see him either. He stayed away from home and talked on the phone with his girlfriend, Huang Bingbing. She tried to talk him down:
“You know better than anyone why your uncle ended up in the hospital for emergency treatment.”
“And you were the one who secretly sent him abroad back then. You spoiled him.”
“If you go see him now, what’s he going to say to you? Nothing more than asking you to forgive him and understand him.”
“You’re his older brother. You’ve loved him for nearly twenty years—covered for him, even. Isn’t that enough?”
“Zhao Shuo, our wedding was almost delayed because of him. Don’t go soft again.”
Zhao Shuo said, “Okay. I understand. If Dad’s not going home, neither am I.”
Huang Bingbing was still worried. “Come pick me up after work.”
She wanted to personally keep an eye on Zhao Shuo.
—
At home, Zhao Mingshi was kneeling in front of Su Lan, holding her waist and crying. He said he knew he was wrong, that he knew he had ruined An Qiao’s life, and that he had also harmed Zhao Guangyuan.
“Mom, please forgive me. Okay?”
“Dad and my brother won’t forgive me. If you won’t talk to me either… if I’m all alone in America, I really won’t be able to survive.”
Su Lan cried too—resentful, furious, heartbroken, and yet aching with pity.
Through tears, Zhao Mingshi made promises. “Mom, I’ll study hard in the U.S.”
“I’ll get a green card and bring you all over there.”
“I’ll make something of myself. I swear!”
—
A few days later, Jiang Luo flew back to Haicheng. Wang Junqing and the others followed him as usual.
Before returning, Jiang Luo specifically reminded Wang Junqing, “Don’t tell your President Huo.”
After coming back, Jiang Luo first went to Shengfei Factory to deal with some work matters. He also met Pan Xiao, who happened to be in Haicheng on business from Haimen.
Jiang Luo asked him, “How’s Hongming been doing lately?”
Pan Xiao smiled. “Pretty good. Everything’s normal.”
He looked genuinely pleased. “The books look better and better. It’s all thanks to you, President Jiang. We really owe you.”
Jiang Luo said, “Alright, enough with the flattery. When I’m not around, keep the factory in order. If anything comes up, call me.”
He also took time to ask about Zhang Ningfu’s divorce.
Zhang Ningfu said, “I’ve stopped taking their calls. I’m letting the lawyer handle it.”
“She… well, it’s probably their son’s idea. They’re asking for twenty thousand in compensation, or they won’t agree to the divorce.”
Twenty thousand?
Jiang Luo snorted. “They’re dreaming.”
“Let the lawyer handle it. Don’t give them a single cent.”
“I’d like to see whether a divorce can really be blocked just because they don’t want it.”
—
After wrapping up his work, Jiang Luo didn’t rest at all. He immediately headed to Huo Zongzhuo’s company.
When he walked in, he saw Huo Zongzhuo sitting alone on the sofa, his head tilted back, leaning sideways—apparently asleep.
“President Huo—”
The secretary opened the door for Jiang Luo.
Jiang Luo quickly stopped him and waved his hand, signaling him not to wake Huo Zongzhuo.
The secretary quietly stepped out and gently closed the door.
Jiang Luo moved softly as well, went over to Huo Zongzhuo, and slowly sat down beside him.
He checked the time—just past four in the afternoon. He knew that if Huo Zongzhuo was napping on the sofa, it meant he had been too busy and exhausted lately.
Jiang Luo felt a deep ache in his chest.
He leaned back against the sofa and stayed quietly, watching the man in silence, letting affection—and the warmth that came with it—fill his heart. He realized that he truly liked Huo Zongzhuo, a lot.
Just watching Huo Zongzhuo rest like this made him feel inexplicably content and happy.
Little by little, Jiang Luo traced Huo Zongzhuo’s peaceful sleeping face with his gaze.
He thought to himself: Huo Zongzhuo was already this busy, yet he still made time to go to Shenzhen and stay with him for two days. How could that not count as loving him?
And yet… it still didn’t feel like enough.
He wanted Huo Zongzhuo’s love to be the same as his own.
He was greedy—no, extremely, overwhelmingly greedy.
He couldn’t help it.
This was the first time he had ever liked someone.
No matter what kind of situation that person was in, he wanted one hundred percent of their sincerity and love.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Jiang Luo leaned a little closer, looking at Huo Zongzhuo.
For a moment, he had the impulse to lean over and kiss him. He held himself back, but secretly kissed him once in his heart.
He thought that emotions were such a strange thing.
Because he liked Huo Zongzhuo, simply sitting here with him, watching him, made him hope time would flow on forever.
He felt like he could watch him until the end of time.
Jiang Luo looked at Huo Zongzhuo, his eyes and expression overflowing with love.
—
About twenty minutes later, Huo Zongzhuo woke up and opened his eyes.
Seeing Jiang Luo, he was surprised. “You’re back already?”
“You’re awake.”
Jiang Luo immediately shifted closer and asked with concern, “Have you been too tired lately?”
“When I came in, you were sleeping so deeply—you didn’t move at all.”
Huo Zongzhuo hummed in acknowledgment, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and stretched to wake himself up.
Then, almost unconsciously, he reached out and wrapped an arm around Jiang Luo’s shoulders. “The groundbreaking ceremony’s over. Construction’s started.”
“There’s a lot going on—more people to see. Socializing goes late into the night.”
“It’s fine. I can handle it.”
Jiang Luo naturally rested his hand on Huo Zongzhuo’s leg and looked at him. “You’re already this busy, and you still went to Shenzhen to see me?”
You stayed for a full two days.
God only knew how much work had piled up in that time.
Huo Zongzhuo was fully awake now. He turned to look at Jiang Luo. “You feel bad for me?”
“Yeah.”
Jiang Luo kept looking at him, eyes bright, a little obedient-looking—like a puppy.
Huo Zongzhuo smiled. “Don’t worry. You’re busy too. Focus on your work.”
“If I’m really tired, I’ll find somewhere to rest.”
Jiang Luo stared at his face closely. “Did you lose weight?”
“No.”
Huo Zongzhuo touched Jiang Luo’s cheek with the arm around his shoulders. “You’re just overthinking because you care. That’s why you think I look thinner.”
“I think you’ve lost weight too,” he added.
Then he asked, “So why did you come back?”
Normally, Jiang Luo would have said it was because of factory business. But right now, with affection flowing through him, he went along with his heart.
“Because I missed you,” he said. “The moment you left Shenzhen, I started missing you.”
Huo Zongzhuo liked hearing that. He smiled, pulled Jiang Luo closer into the crook of his arm, leaned his head over, and naturally rested it against the top of Jiang Luo’s head.
“Then stay in Haicheng for a few more days. Don’t rush back to Shenzhen.”
“Okay,” Jiang Luo said happily.
He couldn’t have wished for more.
—
The next day, Jiang Luo cleared his schedule to spend time with Huo Zongzhuo, who deliberately took him to the construction site in Pudong.
On the way, Jiang Luo saw new buildings going up everywhere in Pudong and felt a sense of awe. In his previous life, he had never paid attention to things like this.
Now, witnessing demolition and construction firsthand, he could truly feel how fast Haicheng—and Pudong in particular—was developing.
As he drove, Huo Zongzhuo explained what was being built where and what each project would be used for.
When they arrived at the two plots of land Huo Zongzhuo owned—right next to each other and already under construction—Jiang Luo was completely convinced.
Lujiazui.
Huo Zongzhuo took Jiang Luo for a walk around the site and explained that one plot was being developed into commercial buildings, while the other was a high-end residential project.
Walking past a roaring cement mixer, Jiang Luo covered his ears and asked, “Why did you choose these two plots?”
Huo Zongzhuo raised his voice over the noise. “Land in Lujiazui has to be fought for. It’s by the river—this will definitely be the best area in Pudong in the future.”
Once again, Jiang Luo was impressed by his vision and foresight.
As they were leaving, near the river, Jiang Luo looked at an area that was still empty and felt once more how strange fate could be.
In his previous life, he had stood on the opposite bank and seen the Oriental Pearl Tower standing tall there. In this life, the project hadn’t even started yet.
Noticing where Jiang Luo was looking, Huo Zongzhuo said as he drove, “That project there is a TV tower.”
“If I remember correctly, construction will start at the end of the year.”
“It’ll take at least several years to finish.”
“The estimated construction cost alone is three hundred million.”
Jiang Luo turned back to him. “What’s that TV tower going to be called?”
Huo Zongzhuo replied, “Last time I had dinner with the contractor’s boss, I remember the name hadn’t been decided yet. He didn’t say—said it was confidential.”
Jiang Luo smiled. “Let’s make another bet.”
“Hm?”
Jiang Luo said, “It’ll be called something-something Pearl.”